


QxG3

by kusege



Category: Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Author sucks at chess and all opinions are unresearched, Charlie is like 6-7 in the first part, Chess, Disgusting hidden meaning density, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, and Winona is like 9-10, just in case you were wondering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-08 21:09:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20842055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kusege/pseuds/kusege
Summary: “Charlie was the only one who ever kept me in check...”“Hah! I know all your moves!”The working title for this fic was Children Can’t Play Chess Right (I’m Children)





	QxG3

**Author's Note:**

> Look... my gf was playing chess in a voicecall with me, and this came out of nowhere.

Somehow, they’ve wound up at this exact same point for the past three games. Well, not exactly the same- her sister starts differently every time, and she’s been going drastically easier on her since the first game- but she never learns. 

“Yes!” Charlie shouts triumphantly, moving her queen away from where it was threatening Winona’s knight. “I got your guy!”

“It’s called a pawn,” Winona says, moving her knight. “Also, I just won. Checkmate.”

“What?!” Charlie looks the board over before sitting down in a huff. “That’s not fair! I have more of your pieces!”

“It’s not _ about _ getting pieces,” Winona explains, for what is probably the fifth time today. “It’s about _ using _pieces. Strategy, and stuff.” 

Charlie kicks her feet in a display of frustration. Her young face is flushed with anger and embarrassment. “I think that’s dumb. The winner should be the one who gets more pieces.”

“Well, when _ you _ get to be in charge of the rules, you can make it that way,” Winona says, already setting up for another round. “Until then, we’ll play how it’s supposed to be played.”

Charlie watches her move the pieces back into their starting positions. Her eyes track Winona’s hands as they manage not to knock any over, something she envies. Winona, meanwhile, focuses on putting each of them in the near center of each tile, making everything nice and neat. Their father is nice, but she still doesn’t want to get scolded for ruining his game.

Charlie keeps using her queen to take Winona’s pieces, leaving herself vulnerable. Winona shakes her head every time, and tries to teach her to do better, but she won’t budge. 

It takes Charlie years to beat Winona once.

—

The last bits of the torch turn to ash in Winona’s hand, and she is left alone in the pitch darkness. She sighs.

Her sister, or whatever she has become, begins to hiss and snarl, surrounding her. The sound weighs heavy on her mind, gripping her in absolute fear and making a place behind her eyes burn. She knows she is there, watching her, waiting to make her move.

She always struggled not to clearly telegraph her next turn.

Charlie lunges with a triumphant growl, and Winona dodges, thinks she feels her sister’s claws just barely graze her cheek. She can’t stop herself from laughing. “I still know all your moves!”

There is a grumbling from what sounds like some distance away, and then silence. Winona stares in the direction of the sound before looking around. It’s useless, there’s nothing to see, but she can’t be faulted for trying. 

“I hope,” she mutters under her breath. After all, it’s been years since she played her sister. Who’s to say she hasn’t improved any? 

There is another hiss. She has no time to react.  


_ **QxG3.** _

_ **#.** _


End file.
